{"record":{"aliases":[],"appointmentIds":["china-1a950337441c3b","china-8ccb05b88ebe4d"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":[],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/chai-zemin-7d1222ecc2/","countrySlug":"china","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/chai-zemin-7d1222ecc2/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Chai Zemin joined the Communist Party in 1933 and moved into the foreign ministry in 1960 after a career in Chinese public service. He represented China in Hungary, Guinea, and Egypt, headed the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and became the first Chinese ambassador to Thailand.","Chai transferred to the Washington liaison office in 1978 as the two governments negotiated full diplomatic relations. He worked with deputy head Han Xu and became the People’s Republic’s first ambassador to the United States when the mission became an embassy in March 1979. After leaving Washington, he became vice president of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs in 1983."],"id":"china:chai zemin","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-7d1222ecc24b2485d240.html","name":"Chai Zemin","notes":[],"paragraphSources":[["chai-memoir"],["chai-memoir","china-ambassadors"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-7d1222ecc24b2485d240.html","relatedEvents":[{"basis":"reviewed-context","country":"China","date":"1979-01-01","description":"The United States and the People’s Republic of China established formal diplomatic relations. Embassies followed in March, replacing the liaison offices opened in 1973.","id":"1979-normalization","note":"Chai’s liaison-office and ambassadorial appointments belong to one person; the March embassy opening follows January recognition.","sourceUrls":["https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/china-policy"],"title":"Diplomatic relations established","url":"China.html#history-1979-normalization"}],"relatedPeople":[{"certainty":"documented","name":"Han Xu","note":"Chai recalled working closely with deputy liaison head Han Xu after arriving in Washington in1978.","profileUrl":"diplomat-0ecd50ac8d10619e54fa.html","sourceIds":["chai-memoir"],"targetId":"china:han xu","type":"collaborated_with"}],"relationships":[{"certainty":"documented","note":"Chai recalled working closely with deputy liaison head Han Xu after arriving in Washington in1978.","sourceIds":["chai-memoir"],"targetId":"china:han xu","type":"collaborated_with"}],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-10-28","revision":"fabb74c5885da995","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2021-12-16","id":"chai-memoir","locator":"Biographical introduction and 初到美国 section","publisher":"Public Diplomacy Network; Chai Zemin and Zhang Guoqiang","title":"花甲之年赴任美国——柴泽民","type":"primary-record","url":"https://www.pdnet.cn/home/character/view/article_id/15219.html"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"","id":"china-ambassadors","locator":"Chai Zemin entries","publisher":"Embassy of China","title":"Chinese Ambassadors to the United States of America","type":"primary-record","url":"https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zmgx/lrzmds/201206/t20120622_4910403.htm"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"Accessed 22 October 2026","id":"mission-957196039cd751bef2b6","locator":"1973 liaison offices and 1979 normalization.","publisher":"","title":"U.S. Department of State: China Policy","type":"Mission record","url":"https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/china-policy"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"2026-10-26","id":"mission-0d67afec1359e1f0d972","locator":"Separates government representation, U.S. recognition, and the 1979 change in diplomatic relations.","publisher":"","title":"Office of the Historian: recognition and relations with China","type":"Mission record","url":"https://history.state.gov/countries/china"}],"topics":["Normalization","Thailand"]},"schemaVersion":1}